Bottle closure



A. F. HOFFMAN 1,923,091

BOTTLE CLOSURE Original Filed Aug. l5, 1928 A lli! 0.

Aug. 22, 1933.

Patented Aug. 22, l1933` UNITED js'rATEs PATENT OFFICE BOTTLE CLOSURE Application August 1s, 192s, semi No. 299,110

Renewed January 19, 1931 5 Claims. (01.215-38) This invention relates to closures for bottles and the like, and contemplates an arrangement in which there is a primary closure that is etlective to seal the container hermetically; and an an- 5 cillary or secondary closure that covers the primary closure, protects the external portions of the bottle adiacent the mouth against contamination, serves as a` sanitary partial closure after the primary closure has been removed and where all the contents of the bottle are not to be used up immediately; and gives a nished appearance to the complete package.

Other objects and aims ofthe invention, more or less broad than those stated above, will be in li part obvious and in part specically referred to` in the course of the following description of the parts, combinations, and arrangements of parts constituting the invention, and the scope of pro-` tection to which I am entitled will appear from` the claims.V y i In the accompanying drawing, in which I have illustrated an embodiment of the invention;

Fig. -1 shows a bottle equipped with my invention; Fig. 2 is a view showing the mouth portion of the bottle of Figure l, with the primary closure in position and the secondary closure removed; and v Fig. -3 is a sectional viewtaken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Referring to the numerals on the drawing, there is shown at 4, by way of illustration, aglass bottle of generally conventional design, having a mouth portion Banged as indicated at 5, to adapt it to a so-called crown cap 6, which constitutes what I call the primary closure of my improved package. Below its mouth the bottle neck is shaped externally to provide a tapered portion '7, so that in the direction away from the bottle mouth the 0 neck portion is gradually enlarged circumferentially, and then sharply reduced in circumference by the deep annular notch or groove 8. A secondary closure is indicated generallyby the numeral 9, and comprises preferably a cap, closed at the top and open at the bottom, and made of a material and/or of a thickness and structural characteristics such that the cap has a permanent set and isselfsustaining. The cap will be long enough'to cover the mouth and neck portions of the bottle, as far down as the groove 8, and the open end of the cap is provided with an inturned ange (or equivalent spaced lnturned lugs) 10. The cap is made of such internal diameter-that when it is pushed down over the bottle mouth, the open end of the cap, dened by ange 10, is gradually distended as the flange rides over the incline 7, and then contracts as the flange snaps into groove 8. If the cap 9 is made of metal or heavy fibre board or the like it Amay be necessary to slit the cap adjacent its open end; but with other 50 materials there will be'suicient inherent resilience or elasticity to give the desired results.

The cap9 is provided with a constricted Vportion 11V which, when flange 10 is in its groove 8, is slightly expanded by and makes contact with 05 the external neck portion 'I of the bottle neck, so that the cap isI more ilrmly seated; and between the reduced portion l1 and flange 10 the cap is circumferentially enlarged to produce an external collar 12. This collar facilitates put- 7o ting the cap on the bottle and taking it off, because it affords convenient and natural points for the application of pressure. Furthermore, when the cap is in position as already described, the inner top of the cap makes contact with the marginal portions of the. crown cap 6, being slightly distended thereby and kept in that co dition because the cap is held in a pulled-down relation to the bottle by reason o'f the engagement of iiange 10 in groove 8.

Cap 9 is. also preferably provided with one or more external longitudinally extending projections 14, which may be in simulation of the conventional champagne cork wires. Such projections make it easy to turn the cap when on the bottle. l

In use, the primary closure 6 having been applied, the bottle neck below the groove 8 may be covered with foil l5, as is frequently done where beverages of the more expensive sort are packaged in bottles of this kind. A cap 9 is now positioned as in Fig. 3, and covered with similar foil `16. The break between foil 15 and' foil 16 is concealed by collar 12, which serves as a bead or moulding, and the package is now that of the traditional champagne bottle, collar 12 giving the appearance of a bottle with massive ilang`e, and the rest of the cap above the collar, suggesting the large champagne cork, foil-covered and lwire-secured.

In case the cap 9 is made of a libre board or similar material that can be torn, one of the projections 14 may be extended below collar 12 (simulating the depending portion of wire on a champagne bottle) as indicated at 1'1. 1n such 105 case the collar, above member 1'7, may be scored or weakened, so that as member 17 is raised up a slit will be opened in the collar, weakening the grip of the cap on the bottle neck. Now the cap may be partially rotated, breaking any. ad-

hesion of foil, etc., and then moved away from .the bottle mouth, exposing the primary closure 6, which may be removed in the usual way. Cap 9 may be used as a temporary cover on this and similar bottles.

I am aware that secondary closures have been proposed to be used with crown seals and other primary closures; but I believe that the notched bottle-neck (or equivalent construction) with which cooperates a readily manipulated deep cap, resilient, self-sustaining, interengaged with the bottle neck groove, and having resilient contact with the bottle neck and with a primary seal, at a plurality of points, is new, particularly when embodied in a structure which gives to the complete. package the ensemble effect of a bottle of champagne.

Inasmuch as many changes could be made in the above construction, and many apparently widely different embodiments of myinvention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the language used in the following claims is intended to cover all the generic and specific features of the invention herein described and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

I claim:

1. In combination, a bottle neck having an outwardly extending shoulder contiguous to its open end, a metallic cap closing the neck of the bottle, said cap being crimped over said shoulder, the neck being formed below said shoulder with an expanding taper and with an external groove below the taper, and a second cap formed of relatively rigid material extending over the end of the bottle neck and having an inturned flange engaged in the groove, the second cap being formed at its lower end with a cylindrical manipulating collar, and at its upper lend with an enlarged dome engaging the rst cap, and the second cap being formed at its intermediate portion with a reduced part which engages the tapered part of the bottle neck.

2. In combination, a bottle neck having an outwardly extending shoulder contiguous to its open end, a metallic cap closing said open end and crimped over said shoulder, said neck having an external groove below said shoulder, and a second cap of rigid material fitting over the ilrst cap and having an internal flange extending into said groove, said second cap having an expanded upperend arranged to engage the peripheral portion of the first vcap and lie free from the center thereof.

3. A sealed bottle comprising a mouth; a crown seal closing the mouth; a generally cup-shaped secondary closure positioned over the crown seal and a zone of the bottle neck below the crown seal; said secondary closure being concaved at its closed end to permit contacting of its inner surface with the marginal portions of the crown cap, and to provide a cavity between the crown cap and the secondary closure at the central portion thereof.

4. A sealed bottle comprising a mouth; a crown seal closing the mouth; a generally cupshaped secondary closure positioned over the crown seal and a zone of the bottle neck below the crown seal; said secondary closure being concaved at its closed end to permit contacting of its inner surface with the marginal portions of the crown cap, and to provide a cavity between the crown cap and the .secondary closure at the central portion thereof, said secondary closure having an `annular sealing zone adapted to enter into frictional engagement with the neck of the bottle.

5. A sealed bottle comprising a mouth; a crown seal closing the mouth; a generally cup-shaped secondary closure positioned over the crown seal anda zone of the bottle neck below the crown seal, said secondary closure comprising a first' annular zone in frictional contact with the bottle neck, a second annular zone of substantially cylindrical form and of greater diameter than that of the flrst zone, said second zone being positioned beneath said first zone and spaced from the bottle neck, and a bulbous annular zone above said first zone, said bulbous zone having an enlarged portion spaced laterally from the depending edges of the crown seal, and having a portion contacting with the marginal portions of the crown cap and'having a portion spaced from the central part of said crown.

ALBER'I F. HOFFMAN. 

